Eagles, 'Horns meet 2020 top three finishers at state

Tuesday, March 2, 2021 ~ Updated 5:32 PM
Southern Valley's district champions line up for a team photo following their 50-44 win over Bruning Davenport Shickley at Minden High School Monday night. More details and comments will appear in Thursday's McCook Gazette. Senior Carter Bose's 14 points on six-for-nine shooting with seven rebounds led the 19-4 Eagles. Classmate Clayton Berry scored 13, seniors Brody Yant seven, Colton Burgeon six and junior Isaak McPhillamy another six points. Yant delivered five assists.
Joey Bose/Courtesy photo

LINCOLN, Neb. — Boys' state tournament pairings were officially set this afternoon as the Southern Valley Eagles will get a rematch of last year's state semifinal against Humphrey Lindsay Holy Family on Wednesday, March 9.

The Class D-1 No. 7 Eagles (19-4 record) take on No. 2 HLHF (20-5) at 4 p.m. in Lincoln Southeast High School. Last March, Southern Valley was seeded sixth but took down No. 2 HLHF at Lincoln's Pinnacle Bank Arena en route to the D-1 state championship game.

HLHF rebounded from a subdistrict finals loss last week vs. Howells-Dodge, 53-49, and trounced Perkins County, 71-29, for the state tournament spot Saturday night.

Southern Valley scored a 50-44 district finals victory over Bruning-Davenport-Shickley Monday evening.

Whoever prevails will play No. 3 North Platte St. Patrick's (21-5) or No. 6 Ansley-Litchfield (20-4) in a Thursday, March 10 semifinal at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Opening tip time will also be 4 p.m.

The other D-1 quarterfinals feature No. 1 Burwell (24-0) vs. No. 8 Central Valley (17-6) and No. 4 Howell-Dodge (18-8) vs. No. 5 Walthill (19-4).

Class D-1's title game takes place at 9 a.m. on Saturday, March 13.

Ironically, the Chase County Longhorns are a No. 7 seed just like Southern Valley and start C2 state play against No. 2 Yutan (22-2) at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, March 9. The game will be in Lincoln Northeast High's gymnasium.

The Yutan Chieftains took third among all C-2 teams last season. They dropped a triple-overtime semifinal to Grand Island Central Catholic, 47-46, but regrouped for the 39-30 conquest of Sutton.

Eaten brings a 14-game winning streak into this year's state tourney. The Chieftains haven't fallen since a 55-53 defeat at Mead on January 8. They whipped West Holt, 62-38, for a district title Monday night.

Chase County (16-8) went 6-0 through February capped with the 71-55 district finals victory over Amherst Saturday night at McCook High School.

Whoever wins Chase-Yutan will meet No. 3 Bridgeport (23-2) or No. 6 BRLD (18-4) for an 8:30 p.m. semifinal on Thursday, March 10 at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

The C-2 title game is set for 8:45 p.m. on Saturday, March 13.

Grand Island CC (22-4) owns the C-2 seed and those Crusaders tangle with No. 8 Tri County (20-5). No. 4 Freeman (21-4) and No. 5 Hartington Cedar Catholic (19-6) complete the C-2 state field.

Watch for more details at mccookgazette.com

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